In many applications fluorescent, neon and incandescent lighting systems are used. However, these systems can have various disadvantages which include: short and/or inconsistent life of the light element, high voltage requirements, significant weight, heat generation and fragility of the lighting element or bulb.
One solution that has been used to counter the problems identified above has been to use a light-emitting diode (LED), either singularly or in groups. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,882 discloses an LED semiconductor lighting system that comprises a lighting apparatus for illuminating vehicle interiors and powered by a source of electrical power provided by or on the vehicle. The lighting apparatus comprises a light tube with an interior space and has a plurality of light-emitting diodes and current limiting resistors contained within such interior space of the light tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,637 discloses a flexible, high density, low profile lighting system which includes a flexible printed circuit board substrate which is adapted to support and electrically interconnect surface mount electronic components. A plurality of surface mount light-emitting diodes are mounted on the substrate so as to define a conformably bendable lighting array configured for mounting upon surfaces with compound curvature.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,823 discloses an LED tubular lighting device which includes LEDs planted in a transparent tube. The tubular lighting device includes LEDs soldered onto a circuit board in an equi-distant arrangement. The circuit board with the LEDs is secured in a boat-shaped receiving, heat-dissipating trough, which are disposed in a transparent tube having heat-dissipating holes in the bottom wall thereof and through holes in both ends thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,882,111 discloses an elongated lighting apparatus that can withstand temperature fluctuations. The elongated lighting apparatus has at least two elongated tubular members fabricated from translucent material. These elongated tubular members are fixed in an end-to-end configuration, separated by a region enabling for thermal expansion/contraction of the members. A substrate upon which a plurality of light-emitting devices is placed, is slidably positioned inside each tubular member. End caps seal the open ends of the elongated tubular members. The light-emitting devices are electrically interconnected. An external power source provides a system to energize the light sources.
While all of these devices disclose strip lighting systems which incorporate LEDs, these devices are tedious and expensive to manufacture. Each of the devices described teaches of the LEDs mounted on a printed circuit board utilizing conductive adhesives or soldering. The requirement of a printed circuit board is expensive, and the use of conductive adhesive or soldering to mount the LED to the printed circuit board is a time consuming and exacting process. It would therefore be beneficial to provide an LED strip lighting system which did not required the use of a printed circuit board and which do not require the LEDs to be mounted using conductive adhesives or soldering.